A Writing Exercise for Creating Setting

One of the hardest parts of writing for me has always been creating setting. It is also a very vital part of writing. Many people don't see it as such a key element...that is until they read a story with poor setting. Good setting creates not only a place but also a feeling, a mood. It interlocks everything together. Although you don't want to overdo setting, you want to intersperse it throughout the story. This is an exercise that I have found very useful in writing setting.

1. Visualize the place. If you want to drop the reader into your setting, you have to be able to drop yourself into it. Take just a few minutes, shut out distractions, close your eyes, and just imagine.

2. Write down the details. Take it one sense at a time. Think about all the things you see in the setting and write them down as fast as you can. Don't use full sentences. Don't worry about grammar or spelling. Just write. Give yourself two minutes, and when the time is up, stop. Then go to the next sense (taste, smell, etc.) and do the same thing. When you are finished, you should have a very good idea of what the place is like.

3. Choose a mood. In one word, write down the mood you want to convey (creepy, suspenseful, calming, etc.). Then look over all the descriptions you wrote and underline the ones that support it. For example, if you are going for creepy, mention the blood-red mushrooms in your description. If suspenseful, describe the sudden silence. If calming, talk about the smell of fresh lavender. Then, just combine those details into a concise and powerful description of the place.

If this tool is used right, it will help to transport your reader into the writing. And that really is the main goal in writing, isn't it?

Have any advice on writing setting? Comment below!